Messi beats Muller's 40-year goal record

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Updated 1100 GMT (1900 HKT) December 11, 2012

Lionel Messi's record year9 photos

Messi beats Muller – Lionel Messi celebrates after matching Gerd Muller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year, netting in the 16th minute of Barcelona's match against Real Betis in December 2012. Just nine minutes later the Argentina star passed the German's 1972 milestone.

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Lionel Messi's record year9 photos

Time to spare – Messi passed Muller with three more possible matches to play in 2012. Then a three-time world player of the year, he went on to win a record fourth Ballon d'Or in January,

Record in doubt – Messi made a quick recovery to be fit for the Betis game, having been injured after coming on as a substitute during a Champions League match against Benfica.

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Lionel Messi's record year9 photos

Barca's best – Messi enjoyed a stellar 2012. With a hat-trick against Grenada in March, he equaled and broke the all-time goalscoring record for Barcelona in official matches of 232 set by Cesar Rodriguez.

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Lionel Messi's record year9 photos

Chasing Muller – A hat-trick against Malaga in May took Messi to 68 goals for the 2011-12 season, edging him past the record for goals in a European season set by Bayern Munich's Muller in 1972-73.

For club and country – Messi also had a standout year for the Argentina national team. He scored 12 goals for his country in 2012, including a hat-trick against archrivals Brazil in June.

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Lionel Messi's record year9 photos

El Clasico – Messi became Barca's all-time leading goalscorer in "El Clasico" matches against Real Madrid in August 2012. His free-kick in that match was his 15th in the fixture against Barca's archrivals.

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Story highlights

Barcelona soccer star Lionel Messi breaks world record for goals in a calendar year

The 25-year-old matches then surpasses the 1972 milestone set by Gerd Muller

Unbeaten Barcelona win 2-1 at fifth-placed Betis to extend record start to La Liga season

Lionel Messi needed just 25 minutes to dispel any doubts that he would break Gerd Muller's longstanding world record of 85 goals in a calendar year on Sunday.

Having made a quick recovery from the midweek injury that threatened to curtail his bid, the Barcelona soccer star drew level with the German after 16 minutes of the Spanish league match against Real Betis.

A mere nine minutes later, the 25-year-old added another accolade to his collection as he put Barcelona 2-0 ahead to surpass Muller's 1972 milestone with a possible three more matches to play in 2012.

Fifth-placed Betis hit back before halftime through Ruben Castro, but could not prevent unbeaten league leaders Barcelona from registering a 14th win from 15 matches to extend the club's record start to the season.

"I've said it a lot -- it's nice to beat records but the win for the team is what is important and the points difference at the top," Messi told reporters after Barca retained a six-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid.

Second best – The Argentina star then moved past the Brazil legend with his second goal of the match against Mallorca, which left Messi nine short of the best tally for a year held by Germany's Gerd Muller.

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Messi moves past Pele milestone6 photos

Proud dad – The 25-year-old has had a new celebration since the birth of his first child, son Thiago, earlier this month.

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Messi moves past Pele milestone6 photos

Award winner – Messi is in line to win a fourth successive world player of the year award in January. Pele presented him with the Ballon d'Or at the start of this year.

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Messi moves past Pele milestone6 photos

Golden boot – Pele scored 75 goals in 1958, when he launched onto the football scene as a 17-year-old and helped Brazil win that year's World Cup.

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Messi moves past Pele milestone6 photos

Goal machine Gerd – That feat was surpassed in 1972 by Muller, who scored 85 goals as West Germany won the European Championship and his club Bayern Munich lifted the Bundesliga title.

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Champions League action 8 photos

Champions League action8 photos

Down and out – Fernando Torres scored twice as Chelsea crushed Danish side Nordsjaelland 6-1 at Stamford Bridge but it wasn't enough to save them from elimination from the Champions League. Juventus picked up a 1-0 win at Shakhtar Donetsk to secure its place in the last-16 and dump Chelsea into the Europa League.

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Champions League action8 photos

Juve joy – Juventus secured its place in the next round with a 1-0 win in Ukraine courtesy of Olexander Kucher's 56th minute own goal. The victory also enabled the Italian club to snatch top spot from Shakhtar with the Donetsk side finishing second.

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Champions League action8 photos

Celtic surge – Gary Hooper and Kris Commons were the stars as Celtic claimed a 2-1 win over Spartak Moscow to clinch its place in the knockout phase. Hooper's 21st minute strike gave the Scottish champions the lead, only for Ari to equalize six minutes before the break. Commons fired home the winner from the penalty spot with nine minutes remaining.

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Champions League action8 photos

Messi misery – Leo Messi endured a miserable night after he was forced off with injury during Barcelona's 0-0 draw with Benfica. The striker, who started the night on the Barcelona bench with his side having already qualified for the next stage, has scored 84 goals in 2012 and was hoping to break Gerd Muller's record of 86 goals in a calendar year which the former Bayern Munich and Germany forward set back in 1972.

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Champions League action8 photos

BATE battered – Mario Gomez and Xherdan Shaqiri were both on target as last year's finalist Bayern Munich secured top spot in Group F with a 4-1 win over 10-man BATE Borisov. Thomas Muller and David Alaba were also on target, while Denis Polyakov was sent off for BATE.

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Champions League action8 photos

Vamos Valencia – Jonas fired Valencia to a 1-0 win at Lille with a 36th minute penalty. The Spanish club was already through to the last-16 before the game and will now look forward to the knockout phase.

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Champions League action8 photos

Yes for Yilmaz – Burak Yılmaz struck his sixth goal of the Group Stage to inspire Galatasaray to a 2-1 triumph at Braga. The win takes the Turkish side into the last-16 at the expense of Romanian side Cluj. Mossoro had given Braga a first-half lead, but goals from Yilmaz and substitute Aydın Yılmaz sealed the victory.

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Champions League action8 photos

Bittersweet for Cluj – Cluj missed out on the last-16 of the Champions League despite becoming the first Romanian team to win at Old Trafford. Luis Alberto's 56 minute strike gave Cluj victory in United manager Alex Ferguson's 200th Champions League match in charge.

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EXPAND GALLERY

Messi's next challenge is to become the first man to win the world player of the year award four times, as he heads the shortlist for January's ceremony along with clubmate Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

"If Iniesta wins, it will be well-deserved for all that he has done, for the way he plays. Again, it will also be a prize for the dressing room," Messi said of the Spain midfielder, who beat him to last season's top European award.

He is already Barcelona's alltime leading scorer, having in March surpassed the 232 goal mark set by Cesar Rodriguez in the 1950s.

Last season he scored a record 50 goals in La Liga, and he already has 23 this term. Of his 86 for 2012, 74 have been for Barcelona and 12 for his country.

The world has yet to see the best of Messi on the international stage, as he has yet to win a senior title with Argentina -- and that is the challenge he next faces if is to be known as a true great, according to British football journalist Henry Winter.

"Pele did it for Brazil and Maradona for Argentina. In the 2014 World Cup on Brazilian soil it'll be wonderful to see Messi show the world what a special, special player he is," Winter told CNN on Sunday.

"They say top players hit their peak at 27 or 28 when they have the maturity and the game craft and still the athleticism of youth. I think we'll see a player like Messi who's very humble, very grounded, continuing to work and develop with the great Barcelona players he's got around him, like Xavi and Iniesta.

"He'll be the first to pay tribute to his teammates as well, because they are important."

Spanish football hit by sponsorship cutbacks 8 photos

Spanish football hit by sponsorship cutbacks8 photos

Spanish duopoly – Barcelona's Lionel Messi (left) and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo (right) -- widely considered the two best players in the world -- shake hands before the 'El Classico' derby between Spain's two biggest clubs. But is the huge wealth of Barca and Real damaging the rest of Spanish football?

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Spanish football hit by sponsorship cutbacks8 photos

Revenue dwarfs rivals – Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho (left) and Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova (right) shake hands at the derby between the two clubs. Real's revenue is $695 million, $42 million more than Barca and $526 million more than that of Valencia.

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Spanish football hit by sponsorship cutbacks8 photos

Talent at a price – Barcelona's Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo were all nominated for the prestigious Balon d'Or award this year. The last time the Barca-Real league monopoly was broken was in 2004 when Rafael Benitez's Valencia won La Liga.

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Spanish football hit by sponsorship cutbacks8 photos

Will Falcao stay at Atletico? – Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao is arguably the best striker in the world, but the Colombian is likely to be sold at the end of the season.

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Spanish football hit by sponsorship cutbacks8 photos

Oviedo fans show support – Real Oviedo fans show their support for the club in the Estadio Carlos Tartiere with a banner reading "For the future of Real Oviedo". The third-tier club's financial problems are so great that they have turned to their fans for help, offering them the right to buy shares in Oviedo.

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Spanish football hit by sponsorship cutbacks8 photos

Fund raising – The Real Oviedo team huddle on the pitch before taking on Real Madrid's reserve team in Asturias. Oviedo need to raise $2.4 million to save the club.

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Spanish football hit by sponsorship cutbacks8 photos

Fans protest – Real Oviedo fans hold up banner as they march through the city on their way to the league match to protest against the possible closure of the club due to financial difficulties.

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Spanish football hit by sponsorship cutbacks8 photos

Spanish austerity – The Spanish financial crisis has led to a raft of anti-austerity measures. Protests against cuts have been seen on the streets of Madrid, where a minority of protesters have been involved in violent clashes with the police.

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Paraguayan player's Indonesian tragedy 5 photos

Paraguayan player's Indonesian tragedy5 photos

Tragic end – Diego Mendieta's former teammates carry his coffin at the Paraguayan footballer's funeral in Solo, Indonesia.

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Paraguayan player's Indonesian tragedy5 photos

Widow's grief – He passed away at the age of 32, dying in hospital after contracting an infection. Mendieta was unable to return home to his wife and children because he was owed four months' wages.

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Paraguayan player's Indonesian tragedy5 photos

Loss of father – Mendieta is mourned by wife Valeriana Alvarez and their children Bele (left) and Gaston.

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Paraguayan player's Indonesian tragedy5 photos

Indonesian infighting – Mendieta's plight has highlighted the schism in Indonesian football, where two organizations are fighting for control of the game following the creation of a breakaway league. The players' union says 13 clubs are behind in promised salary payments.

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Paraguayan player's Indonesian tragedy5 photos

Happier times – Mendieta (left) celebrates with Persis Solo teammates Romuald Noah and Yanuar Ruspuspito after scoring in a match against Persip Pekalongan.

Amazing sports moments of 2012 – John Wall of the Washington Wizards hits the floor after taking a shot against Kyle Korver of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on January 11 in Chicago.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – The car driven by Kamui Kobayashi of Japan flies through the air after crashing during the start of the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco on May 27 in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Devin Funchess of the University of Michigan celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen on September 15 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Luke Patience, left, and Stuart Bithell of Great Britain celebrate after finishing second and winning the silver medal in the men's 470 Sailing on Day 14 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 10 in Weymouth, England.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Allen Craig of the St. Louis Cardinals breaks his bat during a hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 24 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Dare To Dream, who is trained by Bart Cummings, enjoys eating grass after trackwork on October 30 at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – A gymnast performs during warmups before the start of the artistic gymnastics women's team final on Day 4 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 31 in London.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Maksim Veraska of Ukraine competes in the men's 200m IM - SM12 heat 2 on Day 5 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games on September 3 in London.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Brigetta Barrett of the United States celebrates after a jump during the women's high jump final on Day 15 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 11.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Derrick Martin of the New York Giants makes a video of head coach Tom Coughlin while they celebrate in the locker room after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in the NFC Championship Game at Candlestick Park on January 22 in San Francisco.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – The Oracle Team USA flips over during a fleet race in the America's Cup World Series on October 6 in San Francisco.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Running back Trent Richardson of the Cleveland Browns hits the ground hard after a play against the Baltimore Ravens on September 27 in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Spectators celebrate Abingdon School winning The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, a rowing event, during the fifth day of the 2012 Henley Royal Regatta on July 1 in Henley-on-Thames, England.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Berlin, right, battles with Hovex Lass during the 7th race at the Coral Brighton and Hove Greyhound Stadium on March 21 in Brighton, England.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Aisen Chen and Huo Liang of China dive during the synchronized men 10-meter platform final on Day 4 of the AT&T USA Diving Grand Prix on May 13 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Senyue Deng of China competes in the individual all-around rhythmic gymnastics on Day 13 of the London 2012 Olympics Games on August 9.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Bernie Ibini of the Mariners competes for the ball during the round seven A-League match between the Melbourne Victory and the Central Coast Mariners on November 17 in Melbourne, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – A competitor runs along the beach during the 2012 Bondi Barefoot Race at Bondi Beach on May 27 in Sydney, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Ning Ding of China plays a forehand during the women's singles table tennis quarter-final match against Ai Fukuhara of Japan on Day 4 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 31.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – The Syracuse Orange and San Diego State Aztecs play during the Battle On The Midway college basketball game on the deck of the USS Midway on November 11 in San Diego, California.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Robin Nahas of the Richmond Tigers is tackled during an AFL match against the Port Adelaide Power at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 2 in Melbourne, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Xin Wang of China reaches for a shot hit by Xuerui Li of China in the women's singles badminton semi-final on Day 7 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 3.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Switzerland's Fabienne Suter falls during the super combined slalom of the women's Alpine Skiing World Cup event on January 27 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees injures his leg playing against the Detroit Tigers during Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 13.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Kei Nishikori of Japan serves during his quarterfinal match against Andy Murray of Great Britain on Day 10 of the 2012 Australian Open on January 25 in Melbourne, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – A young fan runs in front of the peloton during stage two of the USA Pro Challenge on August 21 in Sapinero, Colorado.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Ryan Harwood of the Brisbane Lions and James Magner of the Melbourne Demons compete for a mark during an Australian Football League match on July 1 in Brisbane, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Julianna Naoupu of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic lies amongst the confetti after winning the Australian and New Zealand Netball League Championship match against the Melbourne Vixens on July 22 in Melbourne, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Alviro Petersen of South Africa fields the ball during day five of the third Test match between New Zealand and South Africa on March 27 in Wellington, New Zealand.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Dong Cheng, left, of China fights against Erika Cruz Hernandez, right, of Mexico in the Women's 60kg preliminary match during the AIBA women's world boxing championships on May 14 in Qinhuangdao, China.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Fans watch from the stands as Kurtley Beale of the Australian Wallabies looks to pass during the International Rugby Test match against Wales on June 23 in Sydney, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – A surfer rides a wave at Bronte Beach on May 8 in Sydney, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Jonte Green of the Detroit Lions loses his helmet while being stiff-armed by Bobby Rainey of the Baltimore Ravens as Ricardo Silva tackles him on August 17 in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Athletes compete in the women's marathon on Day 9 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 5.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Golfers dressed in outfits from the 1930s play on Monifeith Links course during the 8th World Hickory Open on October 8 in Monifeith, Scotland.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka of the Minnesota Twins attempts to make a throw to first base during a game against the Cleveland Indians on August 6 in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Riders race in the AAMI Victoria Derby during Victorian Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse on November 3 in Melbourne, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Papiss Cisse of Newcastle United celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on May 2 in London.

Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Competitors help pull each other up a mud hill during the 2012 Tough Mudder on April 1 in Phillip Island, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a point in his quarterfinal match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic on day nine of the 2012 Australian Open on January 24 in Melbourne, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Athletes rest at the finish line of the women's marathon on Day 9 of the London 2012 Olympics on August 5.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Justin Maneri of the Lehigh Mountain Hawks dives into the scorer's table after attempting to save the ball in the first half against the Duke Blue Devils during the second round of the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 16.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – North Korea's Mi Gyong Choe, in red, competes against Poland's Monika Ewa Michalik in the women's freestyle 63-kg wrestling match on Day 12 of the London 2012 Olympics on August 8.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Eight cars wreck during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway on February 24, in Daytona Beach.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – John Daly of the United States plays a shot from the trees during the first round of the UBS Hong Kong Open on November 15.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Kofi Kingston, bottom left, competes in the ring against The Miz during the WWE SmackDown World Tour on November 2 in Hamburg, Germany.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Supporters of the local team cheer prior to the Bundesliga match between FSV Mainz 05 and VfL Wolfsburg at Coface Arena on April 20 in Mainz, Germany.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Great Britain competes in the women's teams synchronized swimming free routine final on Day 14 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 10.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates a touchdown during the game against the New Orleans Saints on November 5 in New Orleans. The Saints won 28-13.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Austrian Gregor Schlierenzauer competes during the first round of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup event at the 60th Four Hills Tournament at Bergisel on January 4 in Innsbruck, Austria.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Aaron Hill of the Arizona Diamondbacks safely slides in to score a run past catcher Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on April 8 in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks defeated the Giants 7-6.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Richard Whitehead of Great Britain celebrates winning gold in the Men's 200-meter T42 final on Day 3 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games on September 1.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Athletes compete in the Men's 15-kilometer mass start during the IBU Biathlon World Championships at Chiemgau Arena on March 11 in Ruhpolding, Germany.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – No. 1 Tavon Austin and No. 12 Geno Smith of the West Virginia Mountaineers celebrate after Austin caught a 37-yard touchdown reception thrown by Smith in the third quarter against the Clemson Tigers during the Discover Orange Bowl on January 4 in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Mountaineers won 70-33.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – South Korea's Woojin Hwang is thrown from his horse Oscar Shearwater during the London 2012 Olympic Games men's modern pentathlon riding show jumping event at Greenwich Park on August 11.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Allister Carter of England competes against Ronnie O'Sullivan of England during the final of the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship on May 6 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – The Vanuatu women's national cricket team celebrates during a match against Japan at Independence Park during the ICC East Asia Pacific Women's Championship on May 17 in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Jason Richardson, left, and Carmelita Jeter celebrate after placing third in the women's 200-meter and men's 110-meter finals at the London 2012 Olympics on August 8.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – French rugby player Sebastien Chabal, right, packs down against another player during a Balmain Club rugby training session at King George Park on February 23 in Sydney.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Great Britain's Micah Richards, top left, goes for the ball against South Korea's Jung Sung-ryong and Ji Dong-won in the men's football quarterfinal match on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 4 in Cardiff, Wales.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Thailand's Kaokaew Pornchai returns a shot to Indonesia's team in the men's kick volleyball semifinal during Day 3 of the ISTAF Super Series on February 25 in Palembang, Indonesia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Manuel Minginfel of the Federated States of Micronesia competes in the men's 62-kilogram weightlifting on Day 3 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 30.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – C.J. Sapong of Sporting KC does a backflip after scoring during the Major League Soccer game against the Toronto FC on June 16 in Kansas City.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Nikki Johnson of the Western Conference is tackled during first game of the Lingerie Football League All-Star Tour on June 2 in Brisbane, Australia.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – James Reveley falls from Wayward Frolic during the Gain Horse Feeds Novices' Steeple Chase on November 6 in Exeter, England.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Hampshire batsman Simon Katich is run out by Yorkshire keeper Jonny Bairstow during the final of the Friends Life T20 between Hampshire and Yorkshire at SWALEC Stadium on August 25 in Cardiff, Wales.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Riders take a jump in the men's BMX cycling semifinals on Day 14 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 10.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Andy Murray of Great Britain celebrates his 7-5, 7-5 win against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the semifinal of men's singles tennis on Day 7 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 3 in London.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys dives to makes a catch for a 30-yard touchdown as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of the Philadelphia Eagles defends on November 11 in Philadelphia. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles 38-23.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – From left, Rafal Murawski and Marcin Wasilewski of Poland vie for the ball with Sergei Ignashevich of Russia during the Group A preliminary round match of the UEFA EURO 2012 between Poland and Russia in Warsaw, Poland, on June 12.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – Competitors run under the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the Sydney Running Festival on September 16.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – John Kuhn of the Green Bay Packers dives in for the touchdown over Aaron Ross of the New York Giants during their NFC divisional playoff game on January 15 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

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Amazing sports moments of 2012 – The United States women's soccer team celebrates a gold medal win against Japan on Day 13 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 9.

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Winter paid tribute to the humility of Messi, who became a father for the first time last month.

"He's a fantastic role model, not just for his club but for football generally," Winter said.

"He doesn't cheat -- he gets whacked by some serious tackles, but he's strong mentally physically -- even though he's not the tallest or most imposing of individuals.

"He just keeps going because he's got this great lust for goals, for scoring, for setting up his teammates. He's the ultimate team player, an ambassador on and off the pitch."

Messi's exploits came after it appeared he might be upstaged by Atletico Madrid's freescoring Radamel Falcao, who became the first player in more than a decade to net five times in a La Liga match.

The Colombia international took his league tally to 16 this season as second-placed Atletico kept the pressure on leaders Barca with a 6-0 thrashing of bottom team Deportivo La Coruna.

Falcao joined Ronaldo on 13 goals with a first-half double, then completed his hat-trick with a penalty after being fouled.

He added two more to seal Atletico's eighth successive home win and guarantee that speculation about his future will intensify ahead of the January transfer window, with some of the world's biggest clubs interested in signing the 26-year-old former Porto player.